Thoughts, Courtesy of Faigley

I've noticed that an electronic piece of writing compared to an actual physical copy is considered to be less reliable or valid. I could very easily go and print out the material that I find on a website; does my printed copy somehow gain credibility once it is printed out on a sheet of paper or is it still lacking because it was not mass produced and bound in a factory?

The assumption that a book found in a bookstore/library has gone through the proper channels to ensure that it contains accurate (and verified) information. Instances where research was not conducted and information was falsified are less frequent(as in the case of the Oprah fiasco with A Million Little Pieces by James Frey). Online, however, there is no system of checks and balances in most cases because anyone is able to be a publisher of content (i.g. wikipedia).